am I stingy

Never thought this would be an issue.

I've never borrowed anything and don't like asking favors. As a single person, after buying this house last yr I had no money and now have finally bought some yard tools, one is my recent pole saw, (after asking a hundred questions and researching).

A snowbird neighbor lady who owns 2 homes, a pool, a big RV and motorcycle was complaining she didn't have any way to cut her palm frond since they were up high and was hinting to use my brand new pole saw but I'm not inclined to loan it. I'm not clear on all the maintenance of it yet and can't afford replacement parts.

Does anyone else have a problem with neighbors borrowing their tools? Do I sound stingy?

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As its a power tool I can totally understand the hesitation. All it takes is one time letting it fall to the ground while running and you have an instant dulled chain and potentially a ruined bar.

As for sharpening, they do have tools h that sharpen chainsaw chains but unsure of their efficacy or ease of use. I typically keep one good spare chain and bar handy with a crappy chain and bar as a backup. Then you could put on the crappy bar and chain for neighbors use!

Did your neighbour ask you for it? If not (but may have hinted for it), then you don't really have to lie - nor do you have to lend your polesaw...You can always set a precedent by claiming "you don't lend tools, period"; that's what I do.

In my case I (sometimes) can do it for them but I am not really that close to any of my neighbours that I would consider them like 'family' - in which case I would lend them a tool...

Now, if specifically asked to lend a tool, it would depend on whether or not that person knew how to handle such a tool. A hammmer is one thing, a polesaw another. On the other hand, I don't have neighbours that are that cheap that they would ask me anyways.

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A lady that owns two houses and a swimming pool can afford to have a professional landscaper come in and trim her tree for her. Im not sure what king of electric pruning saw you bought, but the one I bought turned out to be a POS, and it only lasted for about five branches. You cant buy a good one for less than about $350.00

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I have yet to have someone borrow something and not bring it back broken, out of gas or oil.
Pay me to do it or go buy your own.
My pole saw cost me $650.00, no one's allowed to use it but me.
I lend out my rototiller and it comes back with a broken pull cord, and no gas. I go to use it and call the guy and ask about it and he says, oh ya I forgot to tell you.
I borrow something and it breaks I get it fixed!

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I've never borrowed anything and don't like asking favors. As a single person, after buying this house last yr I had no money and now have finally bought some yard tools, one is my recent pole saw, (after asking a hundred questions and researching).

A snowbird neighbor lady who owns 2 homes, a pool, a big RV and motorcycle was complaining she didn't have any way to cut her palm frond since they were up high and was hinting to use my brand new pole saw but I'm not inclined to loan it. I'm not clear on all the maintenance of it yet and can't afford replacement parts.

Does anyone else have a problem with neighbors borrowing their tools? Do I sound stingy?

Look in the phone book, and find a trimming company. Give her the name and number of that company.

If she then comes clean and ask to borrow your pole saw. Ask her if you can borrow her RV for the weekend.

The one that I have next door, we drink beer together all the time, get along great and have some of the same friends. I wouldn't have a problem lending him anything. He lent me his truck one weekend when mine was in the shop on the pretense that I pick him up at the airport the following week.

The rest of them not so much.

About 6 years ago before we bought the house we live in now, we had rented a house in the general area to see how we liked it here before buying. The lots were all a little over an acre.

The neighbor lady across the street was trying to mow her lawn with a little push mower and it broke down on her. I felt sorry for her and offered to let her borrow our riding mower to finish her yard. I filled it up with gas and showed her how to work it.

It came back with two bent mower blades and the gas tank was empty.

The next weekend, she came and knocked on the door and asked if she could borrow it again.... NOPE